Chris Puddy has known since middle school that he wanted to be an interior designer. His passion for interior design began when he was in the eighth grade and his family was house hunting.

“Each time my family looked at houses, I became so intrigued by the different floor plans, the possibilities and the potential each house held,” he said. “For every house we walked into, I had a vision of what it could be. I began watching HGTV and absorbed information from the interior designers there. Over the years I grew to realize that there was no other career for me besides becoming an interior designer.”

When it came time for him to pick a college that offered him an education that would place him among the best interior design students in the U.S., Radford University stood out.

“I looked online and found that DesignIntelligence ranked Radford University’s interior design program among the top 10 in the nation,” he said. “My choice was clear. I knew that Radford would best prepare me for my future as a designer and offer me one of the most affordable and prestigious design education programs I could find.”

After graduation, Puddy’s plans are well defined.

“I plan to move to Miami or Los Angeles to begin my career,” he said. “I can’t wait to work for an interior design firm that focuses on residential spaces.”